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Good message Mike. You covered a lot of ground. I heard a short talk the other day out of Ephesians 2, about the influence of the World, Satan and the Church in that early Church. Not much changed in 2,000 years!
Btw. John 6 is a powerful chapter. Your last quote continue on to a dramatic climax and even has Jesus explicitly repeating that first statement.
John 6:65-68 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. 66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. KJV
BTW2…I still prefer the KJV, translation of the Great Commission I think they accurately capture the idea that men don’t make Christ’s disciples, which may explain much of our difficulty. We are to teach them though in the way of truth.
Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
BTW3….If one looks up the word Preach in the NT, you realize that teaching is centered also in what is characterized as Preaching. But these are actually just God’s chosen means to bring the Gospel and Grace.
Romans 10:13-15 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
by Mike Ratliff
1 God, having spoken long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days spoke to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds, 3 who is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power; who, having accomplished cleansing for sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. Hebrews 1:1-4 (LSB)
The Church in the early part of the 21st Century is very sick. This sickness has not happened all at once. Instead, it is the result of centuries of compromise after compromise on the part of Christian leaders and…
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Rainbow Trout 